All honest and patriotic Republicans must ask themselves if Donald Trump can be trusted. Those who continue to believe anything Trump has to say, after listening to him lie virtually every time he opened his mouth for four long years, will not likely be persuaded by anything anyone else has to say.

But the rest of those who have considered themselves loyal Republicans, and are only now beginning to realize their party leader has placed himself above their country, their Constitution and their democracy, will hopefully help the rest of us save what so many of our ancestors, grandparents, parents, siblings, children and grandchildren have fought for, around 1.2 million of them sacrificing their lives in the struggle.

Trump’s claims that Joe Biden didn’t win the 2020 election and that the vote should not have been certified; the Jan. 6 insurrection; the election audit in Maricopa County, Arizona – are all attempts to destroy our trust in the democratic process. Trump’s very own attorney general, William Barr, said there was no election fraud. Dozens of federal judges, some appointed by Trump, dismissed Trump’s claims of fraud. The vote was certified in every state, and again by overwhelming majorities in both houses of Congress.

Trump is desperately trying to protect himself from inevitable civil and criminal charges. In my opinion, if Trump, the authoritarian, ever again gains control of our government, it is unlikely that we would see another legitimate presidential election for a very long time.

Jerry Genesio
Scarborough